"It really takes a lot -especially in our line of work- for me to feel alive, but you do that for me, Vivienne."
When psychically gifted Vivienne Salvatore is forced to flee to London from her home up north, she stumbles upon a "prestigious" agency...
PROLOGUE ~ break or be broken ~ vivienne salvatore
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*mentions of violence, inhumane confinement, kidnapping, discrimination, and death.
~~~
"Promise me you'll call," Mal's grip on my shoulders is strong. Then again, she's always been a little extra tough on me.
If I didn't know better, I swear I can see tears pooling in her deep hazel eyes, threatening to spill over and roll down her rosy cheeks.
"You know I will," I assure her, my voice slightly shakier than I'd have liked. "There's no way you're getting rid of me this easily."
She laughs, and I feel a twist in my gut knowing I won't be around to hear that heart-warming sound for a while. She frees my shoulders, then gives me a playful shove.
"Go," she starts, giving a slight sniffle. "Before it leaves without you and you're stuck here with me."
I nod, before pulling her into a hug. She holds me tighter than she has in years. Tighter than she did when I found my way back to her all those years ago after I had escaped the experiment and showed up on her doorstep covered in blood that wasn't mine, dozens of purple bruises scattered across my body, and dirt smudged all over my burnt, torn uniform.
"I'll miss you," my voice is muffled against her chest, and spoken with minimal breath from her deadly tight grip around me. After a moment, I'm freed and her hands are back on my shoulders, holding me to face her.
"Everything's gonna be okay," she reassures me with a certain confidence I am certainly lacking. "Give me a call when you find a phone. You'll find an agency; any of them would be honoured to have you."
I know we're both thinking it, but neither of us have the heart to say it. And don't tell them about your past. I know this all too well. It's what got Del killed, and it's what is forcing me to flee home.
"I love you, Mal," I want to cry. I don't want to leave her. I've lost enough of my sisters already. What if something happens while I'm gone and I'm not there to protect her? What if one of the directors somehow survived and manage to track her down from me?
"I love you too, Vivs," she whispers. "London will do you good. You'll be safer there. It's for the best."
"Tell Freya I'm sorry," I wish she was here, too. As much as we struggle to get along most of the time, I'll miss her too. "I don't want this to upset her."
